Chairman Bishop of the House Committee on Natural Resources Holds a Press Call with NMBC and other Stakeholders to Discuss Repeal of DOI Regulations Under the Congressional Review Act

NMBC was on a National Press Call this morning (1-27-17), working with Congressman Rob Bishop - Utah, Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources to Repeal a recent BLM Rule aimed at the Oil and Gas Industry. NMBC was the only business group on the call supporting the use of the Congressional Review Act to repeal a BLM Venting and Flaring rule that went into effect towards the end of President Obama's administration. Removing the unnecessary, duplicative and expensive BLM rule will be a huge step forward to help New Mexico's struggling oil and gas industry.

On the call, NMBC President Carla Sonntag said, The Venting and Flaring, or Methane rule, published last year has been horrible for New Mexico. It added unnecessary regulations that have hurt hard working families in New Mexico. At a time when New Mexico has one of the worst unemployment rates and highest poverty rates in the nation, this rule is detrimental to our children’s welfare. The New Mexico Business Coalition appreciates Chairman Bishop taking the lead on this issue and are pleased to support using the Congressional Review Act to repeal of the BLM Venting and Flaring Rule.

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Waste Production, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation rule – colloquially known as the Venting and Flaring rule or the BLM Methane Rule – represents one of the Obama administration’s most egregious abuses of executive power designed to destroy responsible energy production on federal lands. Methane emissions from oil and natural gas have significantly declined in recent decades without duplicative federal regulations and at a time when oil and gas production in the U.S. has surged. The rule yields very little environmental benefit and the American people would be better off if we worked to address BLM’s permitting delays.